[MUD-Dev] Room-based vs. Coordinate based[Was semi-graphical muds]

[Warren Powell]

Ben Chambers wrote:

> Which do you prefer?  I can find arguments for both.  Room-based
> allows for easier implementation of odd shaped rooms and bizarre
> exits.  Coordinate based allows for easier representation.  I was
> thinking that the usage of the system I described under
> semi-graphical muds allows for the usage of the good points of each.
> Coordinates are displayed on the map screen, and bizarre exits can
> still be used in the text based portion.  Another nice aspect of
> coordinate based is the area system.  For example the world map and
> the city map.  In the world map a square represents a greater
> distance and a greater time then the city map square.  Anyone have
> any interesting thoughts as to how a system could be implemented?

The main reason that I would consider a co-ordinate based system is
the environment. I would love to have true weather patterns, kingdoms
that people can fight over, rivers that can be travelled and roads
that can be followed. Wilderness encounters would be varied and
players would have the freedom to go wherever they want.

A mjor stumbling block for most co-ord systems is travel times. In my
co-ord based world, travel times could be based on terrain types. Each
grid of the world is 10 units in distance and is depicted on a colour
map as a grid reference. Travel across these grid co-ords is modified
based on the players base movement, his mount, magical affects and the
terrain itself. Modifiers include "base = 5, on horseback = 2, clear
road = 0, heavy forest = -3, mountains = -4, haste spell = 2". On a
clear road on horseback, a character will therefore travel 7 units,
which is enough to cover almost 1 grid ref per turn (a 100x100 grid
will give decent world size). This could be adjusted to suit your own
ideas.

The world can be given strict borders and allow guilds or individuals
the chance to gain control of those lands, giving them monies and
other benefits. Holding on to the lands is a different matter of
course. Guild wars ahoy!

Which leads me to water bourne travel. With a co-ord system, you can
place trade routes. The good thing about this is that people can
procure a ship and raid these trade routes, then shoot off to another
location to count the booty. Player run customs ships would give chase
and ship battles could be devised in a realistic style.

Now the kicker....how about incorporating an area based system in the
co-ord based world. When a point of intewrest is discovered, like a
castle ruin or a town, the player reverts to a normal area based
system and comes back to the grid based when he exits the
town/castle/dungeon. This would lend to a good level of detail in the
world itself without it being too restroctive.  Entry and exit points
could be on seperate grid points to simulate tunnels or large dungeons
and would not necessarily have to coincide with each other.

This would probably do me for a workable system...now if I could only
find time to code the damn thing, I would be set :-)

Tavolir.

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